Andre Norton answers questions posed by Brian M. Fraser, professor of the Science Fiction in the Media seminar series at the Institute of Social Communications, Saint Paul University in Ottawa, Canada. (Note: the 1975 date is a guess being as Andre states that she is in the process of writting Quag Keep)

A revision of Andre Norton’s own bibliography of her works that appeared in The Many Worlds of Andre Norton. Like the original, it is arranged alphabetically and includes the publishing history of the short stories, books, collaborations, short story collections, edited anthologies, and non-fiction. It is updated from the original to include works published in 1974 and some of those appearing in 1975. Each entry contains genre identifications and series notations. Omits some of the non-fiction and some of the short story appearances as well as citing a number of Canadian editions which do not exist. Also see “Norton Bibliography” in The Many Worlds of Andre Norton, by Andre Norton, 1974, ~ Andre Norton: A Bibliography 1934-1963 by Frederick Patten, MLS Thesis, University of California at Los Angeles, 1963, and ~ The First Editions of Andre Norton by David Turner, Published by David Turner, 1974.

Review ofThe Day of the Ness by Frederick Patten in Delap’s F & SF Review, May, Published by Frederick Patten, Edited by Richard Delap, $1.00, (pg.10)

Review of The Many Worlds of Andre Nortonby uncredited in Vertex: The Magazine of Science Fiction, February, Published by Mankind Publishing Company, Edited by Donald J. Pfeil, $1.50, 100pg, cover by Ed Acuna

Remarks on the unexpected subtlety, maturity, and major change in style and pace in the Witch World series in introducing the short story Spider Silk.

Introduction to Through the Neddle’s Eye ~ Sisters of Sorcery: Two Centuries of Witchcraft Stories by the Gentle Sex Edited by Seon Manley and Gogo Lewis, Published by Lothrop, Lee & Shepard, HC, 0-688-41765-5, $13.00, 220pg (pgs. 29-30)

Comments on the theme of sewing in myth and literature and Norton’s use of the theme in this particular short story. Includes a brief biographical sketch and a brief evaluation of Norton’s status as a major writer of science fiction and fantasy.

Prefers Outside to The Crossroads of Time and sees the latter as being too preoccupied with psi powers to do more than establish stereotyped characters.

Peter Pan Was Right by Ann McCutchen ~ Review of The Day of the Ness in Proper Boskonian #14, The Quarterly Journal of the New England Science Fiction Association, Edited by Sheila Glover D'Ammassa, $0.50, 30pg. ~ cover by Al Sirois (pg.25)

Praises Norton’s plot movement and settings in No Night Without Stars and lauds both novels for their narrative confidence and certainty. Questions, however, the apparent inappropriate use of archaic language.

Notes Norton’s use of black and female characters but finds Wraiths of Time bewildering and disappointing. On the basis of her past performances, Patten is particularly critical of Norton’s “world-building.”

Review of The Book of Andre Norton by Frank Denton in The Diversifier, #13 March, Published by Castle Press, Edited by CC Clingen, $1.00, 48pg, cover by Denis Tiani (pg36)

A valuable chart that explains the chronology and settings of the Witch World short stories and novels. Due to the publication date of this Gregg Press reprint and Sandra Miesel’s commentary (1977), the short stories Sword of Unbelief, Sand Sister, and the short stories collected in Trey of Swords--- Sword of Lost Battles, Sword of Ice, and Sword of Shadow--are not included.

Beginning with an overview of Norton’s career and popularity, Miesel discusses the reasons for the lack of attention Norton’s work has received and proceeds to an evaluation of her ﬁction, in general, and of the Witch World series, in particular. Norton’s works are characterized by their spirit of adventure and their emotional appeal. Science is secondary to human and understandable concerns, and the ideas expressed in the fiction are necessarily related to humanistic elements: parapsychology, animals, archaeology, folklore, anthropology, and history. Throughout, the narrative is always a primary concern, and her characters are uniformly presented with difficult moral decisions which are often made in confrontation with technology or power groups and most often are made for positive, humanistic reasons. In the second portion of Miesel’s introduction, there is an explanation of the history, geography, and peoples of the Witch World. Intermingled in this discussion are indications of the sources of the series. After briefly summarizing the various novels and short stories of the Witch World series, the various thematic concerns of the series are explored with particular emphasis on the motifs of power, personal realization, and the evil of technology. The essay concludes with a strong examination of the role of women in Norton’s works.

An overview of Norton’s life, career, and interests that contains valuable information on her earlier and non-science fiction publications: Ride Proud, Rebel!, Rebel Spurs, The Prince Commands, and Murders for Sale.

The introduction to the Gregg Press reprints of the Time Trader novels: The Time Traders, Galactic Derelict, The Defiant Agents, and Key Out of Time. Contains a very brief biography, a discussion of the erroneous belief that Andre Norton is a pseudonym, and an overview of Ms. Norton’s early general fiction and science fiction. In the more lengthy examination of the Time Trader novels, Beeler discusses the sources; the series’ genesis; the individual plots; the characterization; and the major themes of survival, conﬂict between individual and group, and the human simplicity of the past versus the dismal complexity of the Future. There is one major error, apparently initiated by Barry McGhan (Andre Norton: Why Has She Been Neglected? by Barry McGhan ~ Riverside Quarterly #4, 1970) and perpetuated by Sandra Miesel (in both of her Gregg Press “Introductions, 1977 & 78) and Beeler, that should be noted. The contention that Star Hunter was nominated for a Hugo Award (p. vi) is not supported by Donald Franson and Howard DeVore’s A History of the Hugo, Nebula, and International Fantasy Awards (rev. ed. Dearborn, MI: Howard DeVore, 1975 and 1985). [Within the pages of Andre's scrapbooks we found a draft copy of this article with hand written corrections ~ we are assuming that they are by Thomas Beeler since they do not match Andre's handwriting.]

A brief introduction to Ms. Norton’s career followed by an analysis of her Space Adventures (occasioned by Gregg’s reprints of the volumes): Sargasso of Space, Plague Ship, Voodoo Planet, Star Hunter, The Crossroads of Time, Secret of the Lost Race, and The Sioux Spaceman. Aspects of the series that are considered include setting, characterization, mythic themes and patterns, the creation of future history, animal imagery and characters, and the general place of the Space Adventure novels amid Ms. Norton’s fiction.

Contains an adequate bibliography of Ms. Norton’s fiction and edited anthologies, divided into children, and adult titles, that is followed by a brief statement of her writing interests by Ms. Norton and a brief analysis of the nature of her fiction by Culpan.

Attempt to tell the reader if they will like the books written by the authors listed. Andre Norton considered an author of juvenile books because of the age of the protagonists. “Fascinating people and places abound.”

Norton, Andre by L.W. Curry ~ Science Fiction and Fantasy Authors: A Bibliography of First Printings of Their Fiction, Published by G.K. Hall (pgs. 388-389)

This is complete until 1979 and is good for identifying the differences among the first edition, first printing, and later printings.

The plot device of unexplained disappearances, which have been recorded throughout history, is used to transport two teenagers to a parallel world where the native inhabitants have the mystical elements of the Arthurian legends. The plot hinges around the ability of the two teens and other similarly transported humans to lace and accept change and growth.

This valuable study is one of the few scholarly examinations of Norton’s major characters. The relationship between her canon and Zelazny’s reveals common themes of alienation, independence, self-reliance, and self-realization that are realized through the protagonists. This is difficult to find, but well worth the effort.

Drawing upon Bruno Bettelheim’s The Uses of Enchantment: The Meaning and importance of Fairy Titles, Brooks discusses the use of the folk tale of Beauty and the Beast as a source For Year of the Unicorn and examines Ms. Norton’s considerable reshaping of the tale For the novel. Brooks puts particular stress on the rites of passage undergone by the novel’s protagonist, Gillan.

An overview of the animals in Andre Norton’s books in regard to the theme of man and beast working together. Mentions that Andre Norton doesn’t invent animals but uses natural histories and takes the characteristics of little-known existing animals.